We must learn to appreciate the great value of silence. In a world that wants to pull us in so many ways away from heavenly realities, we must embrace a state of mind focused on meditation, peace and quiet. We must constantly reflect on that which is spiritual. We must properly dispose ourselves to be open to the Word of God Who speaks to us in our hearts. In short, it is our duty to develop and nourish a disciplined, well-ordered spiritual life. We must embrace silent prayer that is known to God alone.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Prayers at the Foot of the Altar
Showing posts with label Piety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Piety. Show all posts
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Mystery of the Incarnation
Saint John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through Him all things came into being; not one thing was created without Him...The world was made through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. He entered His own creation, and His own did not receive Him."
As Christmas day approaches we look forward to celebrating with great joy the Incarnation of Christ. We pray that we are not among those who did not receive Him. This Advent season we have been preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ through our prayer and penance. We take this time to recognize and acknowledge the ways we have not received Christ and rejected Him by our sinfulness.
When the Word was hidden within God Himself He was invisible to God's created world, but in the fullness of time God made Him visible. God made the Word visible so that the world could be saved by Him.
Let us open up our hearts to the grace God offers us in the person of Jesus Christ. Let us be converted from our sinful ways and enjoy true peace of mind and heart in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
As Christmas day approaches we look forward to celebrating with great joy the Incarnation of Christ. We pray that we are not among those who did not receive Him. This Advent season we have been preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ through our prayer and penance. We take this time to recognize and acknowledge the ways we have not received Christ and rejected Him by our sinfulness.
When the Word was hidden within God Himself He was invisible to God's created world, but in the fullness of time God made Him visible. God made the Word visible so that the world could be saved by Him.
Let us open up our hearts to the grace God offers us in the person of Jesus Christ. Let us be converted from our sinful ways and enjoy true peace of mind and heart in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Monday, December 13, 2010
Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
"How short a time it was when I left them before I found him whom my soul has loved. I held him fast, and I will not let him go." Saint Ambrose in his book on virginity writes in the Office of Readings: "How do we hold him fast? Not by restraining chains or knotted ropes but by bonds of love, by spiritual reins, by the longing of the soul.
If you also, like the bride, wish to hold him fast, seek him and be fearless in suffering. It is often easier to find him in the midst of bodily torments, in the very hands of persecutors.
His bride says: How short a time it was after I left them. In a little space, after a brief moment, when you have escaped from the hands of your persecutors without yielding to the powers of this world, Christ will come to you, and he will not allow you to be tested for long.
Whoever seeks Christ in this way, and finds him, can say: I held him fast, and I will no let him go before I bring him into my mother's house, into the room of her who conceived me. What is this "house," this "room," but the deep and secret places of your heart?
Maintain this house, sweep out its secret recesses until it becomes immaculate and rises as a spiritual temple for a holy priesthood, firmly secured by Christ, the cornerstone, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in it.
Whoever seeks Christ in this way, whoever prays to Christ in this way, is not abandoned by him; on the contrary, Christ comes again and again to visit such a person, for he is with us until the end of the world."
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
If you also, like the bride, wish to hold him fast, seek him and be fearless in suffering. It is often easier to find him in the midst of bodily torments, in the very hands of persecutors.
His bride says: How short a time it was after I left them. In a little space, after a brief moment, when you have escaped from the hands of your persecutors without yielding to the powers of this world, Christ will come to you, and he will not allow you to be tested for long.
Whoever seeks Christ in this way, and finds him, can say: I held him fast, and I will no let him go before I bring him into my mother's house, into the room of her who conceived me. What is this "house," this "room," but the deep and secret places of your heart?
Maintain this house, sweep out its secret recesses until it becomes immaculate and rises as a spiritual temple for a holy priesthood, firmly secured by Christ, the cornerstone, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in it.
Whoever seeks Christ in this way, whoever prays to Christ in this way, is not abandoned by him; on the contrary, Christ comes again and again to visit such a person, for he is with us until the end of the world."
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Priestly Vocation to Perfection
From the decree on the ministry and life of priests of the Second Vatican Council (Presbyterorum ordiniis)
By the sacrament of Orders priests are formed in the image of Christ the Priest, to be ministers of Christ the Head in constructing and building up His whole Body, the Church, as fellow-workers with the order of bishops. In the consecration of baptism they have already received, in common with all Christians, the sign and gift of so great a vocation and grace that, even in their human weakness, they have the power, and the duty, to seek perfection, in accordance with our Lord's words: "Be perfect, then, as your Father in heaven is also perfect."
Priests are obliged in a special way to acquire this perfection. By receiving holy Orders they have been consecrated in a new way, and made living instruments of Christ the eternal Priest, so as to be able to continue through the years Christ's wonderful work which, by divine power, has restored to wholeness the entire family of man.
Since each priest acts, as far as he may, in the person of Christ Himself, he is given special grace to help him grow toward the perfection of the one whose role he plays, as he ministers to his flock and the whole people of God. He receives grace for healing of human weakness from the holiness of Christ, who became for us high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners.
Christ, whom the Father sanctified, that is, consecrated, and sent into the world, gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all sin, and to purify for Himself an acceptable people, zealous for good works. So, through His passion He entered into His glory. In the same way, priests, consecrated as they are by the anointing of the Holy Spirit and sent by Christ, put an end in their lives to the sins of our selfish nature, and give themselves wholly to the service of mankind, and so are enabled to grow to perfect manhood in the holiness with which they are enriched in Christ.
As they exercise the ministry of the Spirit and of holiness, they are strengthened in the spiritual life, provided that they are docile to Christ's spirit, who gives them life and is their guide. By the sacred actions they perform daily, and by their entire ministry in communion with their bishop and fellow-priests, they are set on the way that leads to perfection.
The holiness of priests is itself an important contribution to the fruitfulness of their ministry. It is true that God's grace can effect the work of salvation even through unworthy ministers, but God ordinarily prefers to show His wonders by means of those who are more submissive to the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and, who through close union with Christ and holiness of life, are able to say with Saint Paul: "I live, but no longer is it I who live, it is Christ who lives within me."
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
By the sacrament of Orders priests are formed in the image of Christ the Priest, to be ministers of Christ the Head in constructing and building up His whole Body, the Church, as fellow-workers with the order of bishops. In the consecration of baptism they have already received, in common with all Christians, the sign and gift of so great a vocation and grace that, even in their human weakness, they have the power, and the duty, to seek perfection, in accordance with our Lord's words: "Be perfect, then, as your Father in heaven is also perfect."
Priests are obliged in a special way to acquire this perfection. By receiving holy Orders they have been consecrated in a new way, and made living instruments of Christ the eternal Priest, so as to be able to continue through the years Christ's wonderful work which, by divine power, has restored to wholeness the entire family of man.
Since each priest acts, as far as he may, in the person of Christ Himself, he is given special grace to help him grow toward the perfection of the one whose role he plays, as he ministers to his flock and the whole people of God. He receives grace for healing of human weakness from the holiness of Christ, who became for us high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners.
Christ, whom the Father sanctified, that is, consecrated, and sent into the world, gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all sin, and to purify for Himself an acceptable people, zealous for good works. So, through His passion He entered into His glory. In the same way, priests, consecrated as they are by the anointing of the Holy Spirit and sent by Christ, put an end in their lives to the sins of our selfish nature, and give themselves wholly to the service of mankind, and so are enabled to grow to perfect manhood in the holiness with which they are enriched in Christ.
As they exercise the ministry of the Spirit and of holiness, they are strengthened in the spiritual life, provided that they are docile to Christ's spirit, who gives them life and is their guide. By the sacred actions they perform daily, and by their entire ministry in communion with their bishop and fellow-priests, they are set on the way that leads to perfection.
The holiness of priests is itself an important contribution to the fruitfulness of their ministry. It is true that God's grace can effect the work of salvation even through unworthy ministers, but God ordinarily prefers to show His wonders by means of those who are more submissive to the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and, who through close union with Christ and holiness of life, are able to say with Saint Paul: "I live, but no longer is it I who live, it is Christ who lives within me."
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Monday, November 22, 2010
Salvation
Saint Peter exhorts us to embrace virtue. We have been invested with a divine power by virtue of our baptism. We therefore have everything necessary for living a life of genuine piety. This is part of our two-fold responsibility toward our Creator. Through the knowledge of Christ Himself who has called us to be His own, we have the strength to fulfill our responsibility.
Saint Peter says we must embrace virtue with a lively faith. Since we have left a world corrupted by lust to become sharers in the divine nature, we must practice self-control. Self control leads to perseverance. Perseverance leads to piety. Piety in turn leads to charity. Charity leads to love.
We thus fulfill the second part of our duty toward God, namely to love. Saint Peter says that these qualities bear fruit in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. If we lack these qualities we possess a spiritual blindness.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Saint Peter says we must embrace virtue with a lively faith. Since we have left a world corrupted by lust to become sharers in the divine nature, we must practice self-control. Self control leads to perseverance. Perseverance leads to piety. Piety in turn leads to charity. Charity leads to love.
We thus fulfill the second part of our duty toward God, namely to love. Saint Peter says that these qualities bear fruit in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. If we lack these qualities we possess a spiritual blindness.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
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